Apparatus for drawing designs

ABSTRACT

A stencil apparatus for producing designs on a piece of paper, consisting of a circular stencil indexed in a mating aperture of a cover plate. The cover plate coacts with a base member to hold the paper in fixed relation to the cover plate to insure that the stencil will not be misaligned with the paper when the stencil is moved from one position to another. The stencil can be indexed between several different positions in the aperture of the cover plate. Means are provided to conveniently move the stencil to the various index positions in the cover plate aperture, and means are also provided in the cover to conveniently place the paper in the proper position between the cover plate and base member.

Unite States Patent 1191 Mercorelli 1 June 4, 1974 [5 APPARATUS FOR DRAWING DESIGNS 1,917,838 4/1969 Germany 33/174 [76] Inventor: John N. Mercorelli, 1265 Van Houten Ave., Clifton, NJ. 07013' Primary Examiner-John W. Huckert Assistant ExaminerMi1t0n S. Gerstein [22] Flled 9 Attorney, Agent, or FirmThomas Cifelli, Jr. [21] App]. No.: 222,802

52 us. c1. 33/174 B, 35/26 [57] ABSTRACT [51] m Cl 60gb 00gb 60gb 1/30 A stencil apparatus for producing designs on a piece [58] new of Search 174 27 of paper, consisting of a circular stencil indexed in a 33/27 35/26 101/1211 128 mating aperture of a cover plate. The cover plate c0- acts with a base member to hold the paper in fixed re- [56] References C'ted lation to the cover plate to insure that the stencil will UNITED STATES PATENTS not be misaligned with the paper when the stencil is 188,651 3/1877 McCormick 35/62 moved from one position to another. The stencil can 1,672,751 6/1928 Conti 33/174 B be indexed between several different positions in the 2,570,806 10/1951 Henry.... 1 35/26 aperture of the cover plate Means are provided to (gppenkhelm conveniently move the stencil to the various index pouruo a 3,633,286 1/1972 Maurer 33/174 B smorls m cover plate aperturF and means are also 3 699 660 10/1972 Siege 33/174 B provided 1n the cover to conveniently place the paper 3:696:529 10/1972 Mabbuttmm: .53/174 B x m the proper Position between the Cover Plate and Great Britain 33/174 base member.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR DRAWING DESIGNS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

1. Field of the Invention:

This invention relates to the fieldof drawing equipment in general and, in particular. to movable stencil apparatus for creating designs on paper.

2. Description of the Prior Art: v

Attempts have been made to provide an effective ap paratus which would enable a person to create patterns on a piece of paper by moving a stencil or other guide device with relation to the paper to be drawn upon. Many problems associated with both the structure and operation of such devices have not been completely overcome by the previously developed devices. For example, the mounting of the paper in the prior art devices is often difficult and cumbersome, which makes it difficult to remove and replace the paper in the device. Often, the paper upon which the design is to be drawn has to be held in position with relation to the stencil by means of spikes or clips, which tend to deform or mutilate the paper. Further, the prior art devices were usually not able to store'any convenient quantity of paper to be used with the device.

Additionally, many prior art devices did not provide means to conveniently manipulate the stencil. Many devices-required that the stencil had to be picked up by inserting fingernails underneath the edge of the stencil, which was both time-consuming and a cause for further marring of the paper on which the design was to be made. Other stencils had to be slid over the surface of the paper in order to change their position, so that the design on the surface of the paper would tend to be smudged or marred as the stencil was moved over the surface of the paper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

To overcome the problems of the prior art, the present invention provides apparatus consisting of a circular stencil mounted in the aperture of a cover plate. The cover plate coacts with a base member to position and hold a supply of paper upon which designs are to be drawn, so that the paper is in fixed relationship to the stencil. The stencil can be indexed between several different positions in the aperture of the cover plate to enable the user of the device to create numerous designs by manipulating the stencil to different positions and then using the stencil to mark the paper beneath the aperture in the cover plate. Means are provided to conveniently move the stencil to the various index positions in the cover plate aperture and to conveniently manipulate the cover plate in order to load paper in the proper position between the cover plate and the base.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for drawing designs, having a stencil which can be accurately positioned in numerous attitudes, to allow drawing of the designs.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for drawing designs having a stencil which can be progressively indexed with respect to the paper upon which the design is to be drawn.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for drawing designs, having a stencil which can be easily held in a fixed relation to the paper on which the design is to be drawn.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for drawing designs, having a stencil that can be easily moved from one position to another with relation to the paper on which the design is to be drawn.

A further object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for drawing designs which can hold several sheets of paper at the same time without affecting the operation of the device.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide apparatus for drawing designs. which apparatus holds the paper in a fixed position without placing holes in the paper or otherwise marring the paper.

" Still another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for drawing designs, which allows for easy insertion and removal of the paper from the device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for drawing designs, which apparatus enables the paper upon which a design has been partially drawn, to be removed from the device and then repositioned within the device in the same relationship to the stencil as it was previously.

' It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for drawing designs having a stencil which cannot be slid over the surface of the paper when being moved from one position to another, so thatthe design of the paper will not be marred or smudged during movement of the stencil.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for drawing designs, which apparatus is of simplified construction, durable, and relatively inexpensive.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus for drawing designs, built in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along lines 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the apparatus for drawing designs shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5, the apparatus for drawing designs, generally indicated at 10, consists of a base 12, a top cover plate 14 and a stencil 16. As shown in the exploded view (FIG. 5), a sheet of paper or other sheet material 18 is placed between the cover plate 14 and the base. The paper is positioned between forward ridge and rear ridge 20 and 22 respectively of the base member resting on the bottom 24 of the base, and between left and right side walls 26 and 28 respectively of the base. The paper is held in this position by the coaction of forward and rear ridges 34 and 36 respectively of the top plate, which coact with the corresponding forward and rear ridges of the base member 3 20 and 22. The left and right side edges 38 and 40 of the top plate 14 are dimensioned to fit in close proximity to the corresponding left and right side walls 26 and 28 of the base member so that the coaction between the forward and rear ridges of the base and top plate and the side walls 26 and 28 with the sides of the top plate 38 and 40 positively locate and hold the position of the top plate with respect to the base and additionally position the paper 18 and prevent it from moving.

The top plate 14 is connected to the base member by means of left and right pins 42 and 44 respectively, which engage left and right holes 46 and 48 in the left and right sidewalls 26 and 28 respectively of the base member, so that the top plate is hinged to rotate about the hinge members. Paper is inserted into the device by pivoting the top plate by means of a handle 50 and exposing the lower paper space between the forward and rear ridges 20 and 22 f the base member 12, so that paper, cut to the approximate width of the side walls 26 and 28 of the base member, can be laid between the forward and rear ridges and 22 of the base. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the forward ridge 34 of the top plate 14 coacts with the forward ridge of the base member so that the paper will be firmly held against the end of forward ridge 20 of the base member and cannot slide forward.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the rear ridge 36 on the top plate coacts with the rear ridge 22 of the base to prevent the paper from sliding rearwardly in the holder.

Additionally, rear ridge 36 also acts as a resilient fastening means to hold the top plate closed against the bottom plate by means of a slight interference fit between the rear ridges of the base and top plate.

The handle 50 is connected to the top plate by any convenient means as, for example, by adhesives, or can be molded onto the top plate during the fabricating process.

The top plate l4 includes a large circular aperture 52 having a plurality of notches 54 radially and evenly spaced about the circumference of the aperture. A circular stencil 16 has a diameter approximately equal to that of the aperture-52 so that the circumferential surface 58 of the stencil is in close contact but fits within the aperture 52. The stencil has a plurality of indexing fingers 60 extending from the circumferential surface 58 of the stencil, which fingers are adapted to engage with notches 54 of the aperture, so that the stencil will be held in a fixed relationship to the top plate. The stencil can include any number or type of designs cut out of the stencil material, such as those indicated as 56 on the drawings. lt should, of course, be understood that the designs shown are only representative of the numerous types that can be provided.

A handle 62 is placed in the center of the stencil in order to lift the stencil so that it can be indexed in any of the various positions possible by positioning the indexing fingers 60 on the circumferential surface 58 of the stencil with the notches 54 on the periphery of the aperture 52.As in the case of handle 50, on the top plate, the handle 62 of the stencil can be fixed to the stencil by any convenient fastening method, such as bonding or, as is shown in FIG. 2, or by molding the entire stencil as a single unit.

The stencil can be opaque or transparent, depending on the preference of the manufacturer. If transparent, of course, it provides the advantage of being able to obplate. This space provides a convenient receptacle for holding pencils or other drawing instruments which .are used with the device. The end portion37 of top plate 14 is shown as being in close proximity to the rear wall 32 of base member 12. However, this need not be so for proper functioning of the device.

The device is extremely easy to operate. Any reasonable number of sheets of paper, which have been cut to the proper size, approximately the length between the two ridges on the base and as wide as the distance between the side walls of the base, are placed within the apparatus by grasping handle 50 and pivoting the top plate upward so that the sheets of paper-can be slid into position. The top plate is then lowered until the rear ridge 36 of the top plate coacts with the rear ridge 22 of the base to hold the top plate'in position. The paper and the top plate are now firmly and securely held with relation to the base.

The circular stencil 16 is then placed in the aperture 52 of the top plate in any position desired and a pencil or any other convenient drawing implement is used to scribe lines guided by the cut out designs 56 of the stencil upon the paper 18. In order to create the desired'design, the stencil is lifted out of the aperture by merely grasping handle 62 and is then rotated and repositioned within the aperture with the indexing finger of the stencil once again engaging the notches 54 to again firmly hold the stencil in position. The desired lines are once more scribed onto the paper by the drawing implement, and the process can be continued ad infinitum.

It should be pointed out that the coaction between the sides of the top plate and the side walls of the base, together with the coaction between the forward and rear ridges of the top plate and base accurately position the top plate with relation to the base, so that the stencil which accurately mates with the aperture in the top plate is also accurately positioned with respect to the base and, therefore, with respect to the paper which has been inserted into the base. The stencil could easily be removed and repositioned numerous times without introducing inaccuracies onto any designs which are being drawn on the paper. Further, because of the means for accurately positioning the paper in the device, the paper could easily be removed in the middle of a drawing operation and then reinserted without introducing any substantial error into the design which is being produced.

it should also be pointed out that the close mating of the indexing fingers 60 with the aperture notches 54 prevents any significant movement of the stencil with respect to the top frame and, therefore, with respect to the paper during the scribing or drawing operation, so that the lines produced by the device will be extremely accurate. 7

Additionally, since the stencil has to be physically lifted by means of the handle to disengage the indexing fingers 60 from the indexing notches of the aperture, it is almost impossible to slide the stencil over the surface of the paper on which the design, is being made. Therefore, the chances of smudging or otherwise marring the design during the drawing operation are substantially reduced.

It should also be noted that the construction of the device allows for the paper to be positioned without the use of any of the standard fastening devices used for fixing the paper, such as pins, tacks, clips or adhesive strips, which tend to mar the paper surface.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made to those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for producing designs comprising:

a base member for holding sheet material;

a top plate with an aperture for holding a stencil;

means to removably position sheet material in a fixed position in said base member;

means to movably position the top plate in fixed relation to said base member;

a circular stencil adapted to fit in said top plate with the center of said stencil in fixed relation to said top plate;

means to index said circular stencil with said top plate in a plurality of fixed positions;

a handle disposed on the stencil to enable lifting of the stencil from the aperture of the top plate and repositioning the stencil in another indexed position in the top plate.

2. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim 1 where the means for removably positioning the sheet material in a fixed position in the base member comprise:

side walls extending upward from the bottom of the base member adapted to limit the lateral movement of the sheet material disposed between the side walls; and

forward and rear ridges in spaced relation rising upwardly from the bottom of the base to limit forward and rearward movement of paper placed between the forward and rear ridges of the base.

3. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim 2 wherein the means to movably position the top plate in fixed relation to the base member includes a rear ridge on the top plate positioned to coact with the rear ridge of the base member to prevent forward and rearward movement of the top plate with relation to the base member.

4. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim 3 wherein means to movably position the top plate in fixed relation to the base member further comprise:

side walls extending upward from the base member;

passage means in the side walls adapted to receive pin means; pin means extending from the top plate into the passage means to pivotally connect the top plate to the base member. 5. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim 1 wherein the means to removably position the top plate in fixed position to the base member comprise handle means extending upward from the top plate adapted to provide for pivotal movement of the top plate member with respect to the base member.

6. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim 1 wherein the means to index said circular stencil with said top plate in a plurality of fixed positions comprise:

a plurality of index fingers extending from the periphery of one of the aperture of the top plate and the stencil; and

a plurality of notches on the other of the top plate and the stencil adapted to receive the indexing fingers in order to fix the position of the stencil with relation to the top plate.

7. The apparatus for producing designs according t claim 6 wherein the handle is positioned at the center of the circular stencil.

8. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim 3 including a receptacle for writing implements comprising:

a front wall rising upward from the bottom of the base member; a forward ridge on the top plate rising upward from the base member substantially parallel to the front wall of the base member and spaced therefrom. 9. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim 8, wherein the forward ridges of the top plate and base member and the rear ridges of the top plate and base member are in spaced parallel relation substantially perpendicular to the side walls of the base member.

10. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim I wherein:

the means for removably positioning the sheet material in a fixed position in the base member comprise: side walls extending upward from the bottom of the base member adapted to limit the lateral movement of the sheet material disposed between the side walls; and

forward and rear ridges in spaced relation rising upwardly from the bottom of the base to limit forward and rearward movement of paper placed between the forward and rear ridges of the base;

the means to movably position the top plate in fixed relation to the base member includes:

a rear ridge on the top plate positioned to coact with therear ridge of the base member to prevent forward and rearward movement of the top plate with relation to the base member;

passage means in the side walls adapted to receive pin means;

pin means extending from the top plate into the passage means to pivotally connect the top plate to the base member; and

handle means extending upward from the top plate adapted to provide for pivotal movement of the top plate member with respect to the base memher;

the means to index said circular stencil with said top plate in a plurality of fixed positions comprise:

a plurality of index fingers extending from the periphery of the stencil;

a plurality of notches in the periphery of the aperture in the top plate adapted to receive the indexincluding a receptacle for writing implements comprising:

a front wall rising upward from the bottom of the base member;

the front wall coacting with the side walls of the base member and the forward ridge on the top plate to form a receptacle for writing implements and the like. 

1. Apparatus for producing designs comprising: a base member for holding sheet material; a top plate with an aperture for holding a stencil; means to removably position sheet material in a fixed position in said base member; means to movably position the top plate in fixed relation to said base member; a circular stencil adapted to fit in said top plate with the center of said stencil in fixed relation to said top plate; means to index said circular Stencil with said top plate in a plurality of fixed positions; a handle disposed on the stencil to enable lifting of the stencil from the aperture of the top plate and repositioning the stencil in another indexed position in the top plate.
 2. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim 1 where the means for removably positioning the sheet material in a fixed position in the base member comprise: side walls extending upward from the bottom of the base member adapted to limit the lateral movement of the sheet material disposed between the side walls; and forward and rear ridges in spaced relation rising upwardly from the bottom of the base to limit forward and rearward movement of paper placed between the forward and rear ridges of the base.
 3. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim 2 wherein the means to movably position the top plate in fixed relation to the base member includes a rear ridge on the top plate positioned to coact with the rear ridge of the base member to prevent forward and rearward movement of the top plate with relation to the base member.
 4. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim 3 wherein means to movably position the top plate in fixed relation to the base member further comprise: side walls extending upward from the base member; passage means in the side walls adapted to receive pin means; pin means extending from the top plate into the passage means to pivotally connect the top plate to the base member.
 5. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim 1 wherein the means to removably position the top plate in fixed position to the base member comprise handle means extending upward from the top plate adapted to provide for pivotal movement of the top plate member with respect to the base member.
 6. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim 1 wherein the means to index said circular stencil with said top plate in a plurality of fixed positions comprise: a plurality of index fingers extending from the periphery of one of the aperture of the top plate and the stencil; and a plurality of notches on the other of the top plate and the stencil adapted to receive the indexing fingers in order to fix the position of the stencil with relation to the top plate.
 7. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim 6 wherein the handle is positioned at the center of the circular stencil.
 8. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim 3 including a receptacle for writing implements comprising: a front wall rising upward from the bottom of the base member; a forward ridge on the top plate rising upward from the base member substantially parallel to the front wall of the base member and spaced therefrom.
 9. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim 8, wherein the forward ridges of the top plate and base member and the rear ridges of the top plate and base member are in spaced parallel relation substantially perpendicular to the side walls of the base member.
 10. The apparatus for producing designs according to claim 1 wherein: the means for removably positioning the sheet material in a fixed position in the base member comprise: side walls extending upward from the bottom of the base member adapted to limit the lateral movement of the sheet material disposed between the side walls; and forward and rear ridges in spaced relation rising upwardly from the bottom of the base to limit forward and rearward movement of paper placed between the forward and rear ridges of the base; the means to movably position the top plate in fixed relation to the base member includes: a rear ridge on the top plate positioned to coact with the rear ridge of the base member to prevent forward and rearward movement of the top plate with relation to the base member; passage means in the side walls adapted to receive pin means; pin means extending from the top plate into the passagE means to pivotally connect the top plate to the base member; and handle means extending upward from the top plate adapted to provide for pivotal movement of the top plate member with respect to the base member; the means to index said circular stencil with said top plate in a plurality of fixed positions comprise: a plurality of index fingers extending from the periphery of the stencil; a plurality of notches in the periphery of the aperture in the top plate adapted to receive the indexing fingers in order to fix the position of the stencil with relation to the top plate; and the handle on the stencil is positioned at the center of the circular stencil; the forward ridges of the top plate and base member and rear ridges of the top plate and base member are in spaced parallel relation substantially perpendicular to the side walls of the base member; and including a receptacle for writing implements comprising: a front wall rising upward from the bottom of the base member; the front wall coacting with the side walls of the base member and the forward ridge on the top plate to form a receptacle for writing implements and the like. 